A 6.7-magnitude earthquake shook the Andes Mountains in southern Peru on Thursday, injuring at least two people and damaging homes, health centers and schools, authorities said.
According to the US Geological Survey, the earthquake occurred at 1 p.m. local time (18:00 GMT) and its epicenter was 38 kilometers (24 miles) northwest of the city of Opahuacho, in the Parinacochas department of the Ayacucho region. Its depth was 66 kilometers (41 miles).
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The earthquake was felt in several areas in southern Peru, including Ica, Arequipa, Huancavelica, Apurimac and Cusco, as well as in the capital, Lima.
Luis Vasquez, head of civil defense, told reporters that two people were injured while evacuating their homes during the earthquake that struck Curacora, the capital of Parinacochas province.
Authorities also reported damage to 22 homes, six health centers and a school in several areas of Ayacucho and Cusco, including the towns of Buquio, Pollo, Curacura, Opahuacho, San Pedro and PecharÃ.
Vasquez said rockfalls were reported on hillsides near Curacura. The Peruvian Navy ruled out the threat of a tsunami.
Earthquakes are frequent in Peru, which is part of the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, an area that witnesses frequent seismic activity.
In 2007, a 7.9-magnitude earthquake in a district of the Ica region killed nearly 600 people.
& Edition 2026 The Canadian Press
